Chronicles of the Children of Destiny Volume Seven - Ye Olde Devil
by saruviel
Summary: The manifestation of Samael of Infinity on earth, and his challenge to find true love.


Chronicles of the

Children of Destiny

'The Onaphim Samael - Ye Olde Devil'

by

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

Chapter One

Samael – Satan - had come to Sherwood Forest to live in about nine hundred AD. After travelling the nations for many centuries he found he liked the land of Britannia and decided to make it his home. Since being banished from heaven and assuming human form in the early third century BCE the Devil had wandered the Earth. He had met Kings and Queens – nobles and commoners – and had started to gain a greater appreciation for those who he once had called 'Common Men' from his heavenly domain.

And now he lived in Sherwood Forest in the year two-thousand and ten by the Christian calendar.

His home was rather simple – a small shack hidden amongst a thicket of trees. As his Father, God, had not totally removed his spiritual powers, he had woven a protective spell around the shack to keep it from prying eyes. It was a simple two-room shack. A main room, in which he spent most of his days, and a back room in which he slept.

The main room housed three ancient bookcases. Amongst them were literary treasures that he had collected over the many centuries of his exile on Earth. He studied them often, especially the 'Good Book', and they were a source of comfort when few others could understand his dilemma.

Apart from the bookcases the room housed a small harpsichord – one which he had purchased in Germany a few centuries earlier. He'd had it shipped to England and brought it to his small home. He had been quite musical as an angel in the realm of infinity, often singing in the heavenly choir. But he now felt greater value in composition, having been inspired by the great composers of the Classical age. He had even seen Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart perform when he had still been a lad.

And next to the harpsichord was a large wooden box containing his compositions. He'd composed thousands of pieces by now, but had only written down a small percentage of them. The rest he'd committed to memory and was sure he could write them down at a later date if at all necessary.

This shack was his home. He spent most of his days there, lost in thought. Fortunately, after the year two-thousand passed, God had felt his impulsive son had atoned for a reasonable amount of his sin, and thus had allowed him visitors from the heavenly domain.

The first of these visitors had been his long-term adversary, the Logos the Protector of Israel and head of the ecclesia. It was Logos who had led the heavenly host in defeating Satan's rebellion against God, and it was Logos who so often challenged Satan in all that he did.

However, in the last few years since the Logos had been visiting Satan, Satan had grown quite fond of him. He had reflected quite often that his old rebellious nature was now seemingly something of the past – now viewed on as a childish impulse of reckless youth.

The Logos had shared with Satan news from Heaven and they often discussed the various affairs of men. In his last visit they reflected on the death of Pope Benedict XVI late last year and the inauguration of the new Italian Pope, Peter the Second. Of particular note in some of the more outlandish Catholic websites was the ancient prophecy of St Malarchy who predicted that the current Pope, Peter the Roman, would be the last before the return of Christ.

Logos had revealed to Satan that his return was imminent, but of course, as always, nobody knew the day or hour.

Of particular relevance to Satan was the final prophecy in the New Testament – the Revelation. His apparent fate did not seem that palatable to himself. The Logos had maintained that the prophecy was part of Destiny – yet not immutable. God could change his plans if the realities in the world changed significantly enough. That was a 'Life' Principle so the Logos had said. Logos had also said that while he, Satan, was essentially the subject of much of revelation, in another sense it also had nothing really to do with him personally. Satan often queried exactly what the Logos meant by such ambiguity, however, as always, with little or no response.

Of course, due to Christianities disdain of Satan as the Lord of Evil, the Devil had never actually revealed his identity to any human beings. Only the host of heaven knew who he actually was and, until recently, they had not had much to do with him.

Satan's other main visitor from the heavenly realm was his old ally, Sandalphon. Sandalphon had been his chief ally in the rebellion, somebody who Satan had trusted implicitly. When he first visited him, just after The Logos' first visit in two-thousand and one, Satan had been overjoyed. At last, a familiar face. Sandalphon discussed with him, like the Logos, the affairs of heaven – but from the perspective of one of the Lord's of darkness. Apparently Sandalphon had not changed greatly since Satan's exile, and still fostered hopes of a future rebellion to take charge of heaven. When he had shared this with Satan, Satan took the news, but didn't really think much of it. For him, the rebellion was over with. It served no great purpose to challenge God's established rule in the heavenly domain, something he now realized. The Logos generally undertook his responsibility with skill and talent administering the affairs in the realm of infinity and, Satan now realized, did a fair job in keeping the populace happy. In the rebellion Satan had been preoccupied with power – he had not really given much thought as to what he would do with that power should he prove victorious. However, he had contemplated this issue in his exile on Earth and had realized that his dreams of power had been nothing but pride – nothing practical about them.

In fact, the Logos had recently told Satan that God had been searching Satan's heart for signs of repentance and had concluded that Satan had indeed been making progress, and thus allowed him visitors for the first time. This was something which pleased Satan greatly. It also established within him a sense of God's justice. God would forgive if you repented of your evil ways. He did not delight in evil but rejoiced in goodness. When he was younger Satan had mocked at such an attitude, but now he thought far more highly of it. He now looked up to God and did in fact respect his Father.

However, his exile was not yet over. The Logos had said that God was still angry with him and had said that at least another thousand years was warranted as a minimum before he could return to his heavenly domain. Having lived on earth now for over two-thousand years he felt that he could easily manage another thousand. It would give him time to plan for his return on that great, glorious day.

Early that morning, after rising from sleep, Satan took to his harpsichord as usual. Although he occasionally ate breakfast he didn't in fact have to. His Father had made him immortal on Earth. He didn't need to eat, and no earthly weapon could harm him. Despite his exile, his Father still cared for him and looked after his needs.

He played on the harpsichord for about an hour, before stopping and taking a seat on his main couch. After a few minutes of quiet contemplation a knock came to his front door. 'I wonder who that could be?' he thought to himself. 'Perhaps the Logos or Sandalphon?' He got to his feet and went to open the door. There standing in front of him was a face he had not seen in over two millennia. It was his one-time lover and best friend the female Onaphim Aphrayel.

She smiled at him, her face beaming. 'Greetings Lord Lucifer.' Satan smiled at the title. 'Lucifer? Come now, I am far from being a Babylonian prince.' Aphrayel chuckled at her one-time lovers comment. Lucifer of course was a figure in an ancient Jewish prophecy, in the first instance applied to a Babylonian Prince, but traditionally, by Christianity anyway, attributed to the Devil. The Devil laughed at the title. 'My dear Aphrayel, what brings you to my earthly abode?' 'What, no kiss for your one-time lover?' said Aphrayel. Satan grinned at her. 'Well, I had thought about it, but felt that such time has passed between us that such a thing might not be that appropriate. Perhaps humanities ways are rubbing off on me.' 'I suppose that must be it,' said Aphrayel.

'Well, are you going to invite me in, or must I stand here at the door into perpetuity.' 'Certainly. Come in, come in,' said Satan. She entered the small room and he motioned for her to sit at one of the small side couches. After she had sat, he sat down opposite her. 'Now tell me, why the visit? Is there some news from the realm that I should be aware of?' 'Yes, I guess, in a way that is it' replied Aphrayel. 'I will get straight to the point. Father has reviewed your situation. He has received from the Logos such glowing reports on your progress that he has decided to give you an opportunity to end your exile early. That is, if you complete a certain task that he has set for you.' Satan looked straight at her, overjoyed at the news. 'Yes. Yes of course. I would do anything to return to the realm sooner than later. What is the task?'

'Well,' began Aphrayel. 'Father knows that you do indeed show affection to us angels these days. But he is not yet satisfied that your heart is full of the love which he birthed you with. Because of this he has set a test for you. The task is this. You will be made into completely human form – able to die. And you will be given five years in this form. Five years to show that your heart really does in fact love. In this five years you must, to be able to return to the realm, find amongst the human beings one who calls you her true love.' Satan looked at her. 'One who calls me my true love? You mean I must marry a daughter of Eve?' 'No, not necessarily. You will not have to marry her, but she must call you her true love - forsaking all others to love you alone.' Satan thought this over. It would be a challenge, certainly. But such an opportunity it was. He had to take it. 'Yes, yes, I agree. It is certainly worth the challenge. Anything to return to the realm.' 'Well, before you get too carried away, there is one last requirement. You must tell her of your true identity. You must tell her that you are in fact the old Devil, Satan himself.' Satan stared at her, slightly taken aback at that statement. 'But, but. If I tell her who I am, surely she will have nothing to do with me. You know my reputation amongst the humans. They think I am the Lord of Evil. No, what you ask is surely too much.' 'I am afraid that is the condition' replied Aphrayel. 'Father was quite adamant on that point. Naturally, it is a difficult decision. So, I will return to you in three weeks at which time you can tell me your decision. If you decide to go ahead with it, you will be made completely human and will have 5 years in which to find your true love.' 'Yes, yes,' said Satan. 'I will need that time to think it over.' With that said Aphrayel got to her feet and walked over to the door. 'I will see myself out, but I will return in three weeks. My love, I hope you make the right decision.' 'Yes, so do I,' said Satan. 'So do I'.iH

Chapter Two

In the following three weeks Satan gave much thought to the task set him by his Father. Was it really worth the effort of finding a true love, and that in human form? Of course, God would likely forgive him in a thousand years anyway, so he could simply wait out his exile. But that was still a long way off, and the opportunity to return to the realm sooner rather than later was extremely enticing. In the end he decided it was a challenge worth accepting. Being human would be challenging, certainly. But to return to the realm so soon was worth any inconvenience.

When Aphrayel returned three weeks later he had made up his mind. The knock came to the door and Satan opened it, expecting Aphrayel, who indeed it was. 'Well, lover. Have you made up your mind?' 'Yes, yes I have,' said Satan. 'I will go through with the agreement.' 'Very well,' Aphrayel said. 'Follow me outside, and take off all your clothing.' Satan undressed and followed her outside. Aphrayel led the way to a small clearing a few yards away from Satan's shack. 'Stand there,' she said, pointing to the middle of the clearing. Satan did as requested. She raised her hands and looked towards heaven. Soon she spoke out in the angelic tongue. 'Yelti, yelti. Hada Samactani. Sata Saruv Samactani.' Suddenly a great wave of light shone down from above, encompassing Satan all around. He was lifted a few feet of the ground and suddenly he felt his body changing. 'What was happening?' he thought to himself. Before he got an answer the light suddenly diminished, and he was dropped to the ground. Instantly he passed out.

He awoke some time later, his head a little dizzy. He looked around to gain his perspective. Aphrayel was nowhere to be seen and it seemed he had changed locations. He could not see his shack anywhere. In fact, he was not sure were he was. Some place totally unknown. And he was naked. Getting to his feet, the wind suddenly blew on him. He shivered, for the first time in his life. 'That was cold,' he thought to himself. He considered that for a moment. 'I guess that is one of the conditions of being totally human. Well, I guess I have no time to waste. But first I need some clothing. I cannot go around totally naked, can I?'

He looked around, took note of the sun, and decided to head in one particular direction. Eventually, he assumed, he would find some sign of human habitation.

After walking for a couple of hours, and feeling the cold, he eventually came to the edge of the forest. Looking ahead he noticed some houses in the distance. Perhaps there he could find some clothing. He walked on. Arriving at the houses, he first looked at the washing line. Fortunately there were some Jeans and t-shirts drying on them. He took them down and tried them on, looking around to make sure nobody noticed him. They fitted, quite comfortably, although a little damp. 'They will do, he thought to himself.' He was a little annoyed at the thought of having to steal clothing, but such was the necessity he found himself faced with. Just then his stomach rumbled a little. 'I am hungry,' he thought to himself. Just then full realization of his human form came to him. He would now have to find clothing, shelter and food just like any other human. Such had been the way in which God had ordained human society on earth to function. 'Great', he thought to himself. Such were the joys of being totally mortal.

Looking around the place, he spotted an apple tree over near the fence. 'Apples', he said to himself. He liked apples. They would suffice for a meal. He made his way over to the tree and pulled down a branch, plucking off a couple of apples. After eating one and starting to make his way through another he noticed that the edge of his hunger was dissipating. 'That is good' he thought to himself. Just then he heard a voice shout out. 'Hey you! What do you think you are doing?' He looked towards the voice and spotted a woman coming forth from the house. 'Better run,' he thought to himself, and quickly made his way out the driveway of the house and down the road.

A half an hour later, having put the house far behind him, he thought on what he should do next. 'Firstly, I guess, I will have to get a place to live. But how would he afford it? He had no money, and didn't have a human job. I guess I can apply for the welfare cheque he thought to himself. England now had a substantial welfare system to take care of people who found it difficult to find full time employment. 'A sensible idea', Satan thought to himself. But of course, he would need an identity of sorts. Papers – a birth certificate at least. Of course, he didn't have one of those. So he was in a dilemma. 'What will I do?' he thought to himself. After some contemplation, an idea came to him. He could make up his own birth certificate. Printing technology was quite advanced these days, so he should be able to forge his own. He could visit one of the public libraries and use their photocopier and printers and make one up. Of course, he would need a name. 'What shall I call myself?' he wondered. A few ideas came to mind. David was a good name – very messianic he thought. But no, he wanted an original name. Something he could call his own. He went through various names and surnames until, finally, he came upon a combination he liked. Firstly, an ancient Celtic first name, 'Callodyn'. Yes, he liked the sound of that. And secondly, a traditional British surname, 'Bradlock'. Yes, that would do he thought to himself. Of course he would need a middle name. He thought perhaps one of his angelic friend's names. Suddenly the name 'Shadray' came to him. Yes, that was a good one. He decided to say it out loud, seeing if it sounded good. 'Callodyn Shadray Bradlock.' Yes, he liked the sound of that. That would be his name.

'Now, to find a library,' he thought to himself. He looked ahead. The road seemed to go on into the distance without any sign of life. 'I guess I will just have to keep on walking, he said to himself.' However, about 5 minutes later, a van pulled up alongside him. 'Do you need a lift, son?' said an elderly gentleman. 'That would be fantastic,' replied Satan. He got into the van and closed the door. 'Were, may I ask, does this road head? 'Just to Beltingham,' said the old man. 'About five minutes from here.' The man looked at Satan's feet. 'No shoes, son. A bit foolish don't you think?' 'Ah, yes,' replied Satan. 'I was actually caught in a bit of a situation. But hopefully I will remedy that shortly. Does Beltingham have a public library?' 'Why, yes it does. A small one,' said the old man. Just down on Tweed Street. I can drop you off there if you like.' 'That would be excellent,' replied Satan. 'Think nothing of it,' said the old man, who started to drive off.

A short time later they approached a rather large village, almost a town. Driving through the streets Satan looked at the various houses. He had never heard of Beltingham before. It was certainly not in Nottinghamshire, so he must have been taken to somewhere else in England. 'Excuse me,' he asked the old man. 'But were abouts in England are we?' 'Don't you know, son? You must have really been off with the fairies. Well, we are not in England at all – we are in northern Wales.' 'Northern Wales?' Satan thought to himself. That would explain why he had never heard of Beltingham before. He had never been to Wales that often. 'Well, here is the library, son.' Said the old man, pulling up in front of a rather small but modernish building. Satan got out, and turned to the old man. 'Thank you, kind fellow. You have done a wonderful deed today.' 'No worries, son,' said the old man, and started off.

Satan looked at the library. Yes it was modern. Hopefully, then, it will have what I am after. He entered the building. At the front desk was an elderly lady, who eyed him as he came in. He walked up to her. 'Yes, can I help you,' she said. 'Do you have a computer with the internet and a printer?' he asked. 'Well yes, we do,' said the lady. It is around the corner, just over there,' she said, pointing. 'Nobody is using it at the moment, so you can have one full hour if you like. Just sign your surname on the sheet here.' Satan looked at the sheet. He took up the pen and was about to write, 'Satan', when he remembered his new name. Carefully he wrote down the surname 'Bradlock'. He looked at the lady. 'Is that all?' Yes, that is all. I will tell you when your time is up. 'Thanks,' he said, and started over to the computer.

Satan was now quite familiar with the Internet. Although he didn't actually have one connected in his shack, he often visited one of the public libraries in Nottingham and made use of it there.

He opened up the Internet, and connected to the 'Google' search engine – his favourite. He typed in 'Fake Birth Certificates United Kingdom' and waited on the results. The first link seemed favourable so he clicked on that.

About fifteen minutes later he had filled in the various details and needed to print off the birth certificate. But he had no money to pay for the paper. He decided to print off the certificate anyway. Hopefully he could sweet talk the librarian into letting him have it for free. As he pressed 'Print', the computer showed the print icon, so he left his desk and went over to where the librarian was. 'I have just printed off a sheet, maam. But unfortunately I don't have any money. Can I possibly pay you later?' The librarian looked at him sternly. 'Well, it is not usual practice, but I guess that will be all right.' She turned towards the printer on her desk, and pulled off Satan's white sheet. 'Is this it?' she said. Satan took the sheet and looked it over. 'Yes, this is the one. Again, thank you greatly, maam. I won't forget to pay you back.' He walked back over to his computer, turned off the internet, and exited the library.

Now he had a birth certificate. The next thing to do was to find a social security office. He went back into the library and went up to the librarian. 'Excuse me, maam. Does Beltingham have a social security office?' 'No, I am afraid not,' replied the librarian. The nearest one of those is in Crossden, about twenty miles south of here.' 'Thanks,' said Satan, and again exited the library. 'Crossden, huh? I guess I have a walk in front of me. Maybe I will get lucky with a lift again?' With that in mind, Satan started along the street, heading towards what appeared to be the main avenue at the end of the street. He should be able to find directions from there.

Chapter Three

Having walked about five miles southwards, he was fortunate enough to again be picked up by a car. This time a young man, around twenty years of age. They travelled along, chatting about this and that. When they reached Crossden, Satan exited the vehicle and thanked the man greatly. He looked skywards. The time of the day seemed to be well into the afternoon. He may have to be quick if he were to see Social security before the day was up.

After getting directions from a shop, he soon found the building. He entered and made his way to the front desk. A pretty young lady, who had a name badge reading Rachel greeted him. 'Yes sir, how can I help you today?' Satan began his already thought out story. 'Well, miss. I have come to apply for social security. For the past year, since losing my job, I have lived on the streets. I was totally broke, but I was too proud too ask for any help. However, it has dawned on me that if people are willing to help me, I shouldn't be too proud to accept it. So I have come to apply for the Social Security allowance, if that is at all possible. 'A look of concern was on Rachel's face. 'You poor fellow. Living on the streets and all. Of course we can help you. Do you have any identification?' Satan handed her his birth certificate. 'As you can see, my name is Callodyn Bradlock, and I am 37 years of age. I was born in Kingston upon Hull, in Yorkshire, England.' 'Yes, I can see that. Do you have any photographic ID? That is what we usually need.' 'Unfortunately, no,' replied Satan. 'I recently lost my wallet which contained my drivers licence and other details. Fortunately I still had my birth certificate in a backpack I carry.' 'Well, that should be OK,' said Rachel. 'Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?' 'Uh, no. Not really,' replied Satan. I was planning another night on the streets as usual. 'Well, we can't have that,' said Rachel. I will call the 'Samaritans Hostel'. They are just down the street a little. I will arrange for you to stay with them until your money comes through. Also, from what I can tell, this seems to be your first application for social security, so you are entitled to an upfront payment of one hundred pounds to get you through until your regular payment comes through. Now tell me. Do you want the jobseekers allowance, or the regular allowance?' 'What's the difference?' asked Satan. 'Well, if you look for work and fill in a job diary, you are entitled to an extra twenty pounds a fortnight. However, if you don't really want to look for work, you can take the standard regular payment.' Satan thought that over. Did he really want to look for work? His love life was the most important thing, so he decided against it. 'I'll just take the regular payment, thanks.' Certainly, replied Rachel. 'Now, do you have a bank account?' 'Uh, no,' said Satan. 'I lost all my details, and I can't really remember my bank account number.' 'Well, that is all right,' said Rachel. You can pick up your cheque from here and bank it at the bank until you get an account. When you have one, just let us know.' 'Sure,' said Satan. 'Out of curiosity, how much is the payment?' 'Regular payments are two-hundred and eighty-five pounds a fortnight. It is quite generous these days. Generally enough to support yourself on. Especially in a small town like Crossden. Out of curiosity, do you plan on staying here?' Satan thought that over. 'I guess,' he said. 'It seems like a nice town – kind of place that I could live in.' 'Yes, it is quite nice,' said Rachel. 'I have lived here all my life, and like it a lot. It really has a nice spirit to it.' 'Yes,' replied Satan. 'I guess so.'

Twenty minutes later, after going through various technicalities, Satan was given a cheque for one hundred pounds, and given direction to the Samaritans. Just as he was leaving, Rachel came over to him, carrying her handbag. 'Callodyn. I have finished for the day. If you like, I will show you the Samaritan hostel.' 'Uh, all right,' said Satan. Rachel showed him to the door, and started walking down the street. A couple of minutes later they came to a double-story white-washed building, with a sign in black reading 'The Samaritans.' 'This is it,' said Rachel. 'They are expecting you. I can come in with you if you like, and introduce you?' 'Uh, no. That will be fine, said Satan. I should be all right now. Thank you greatly for your help Rachel.' 'Think nothing of it,' said Rachel, and smiled. 'You have quite an attractive smile,' Satan thought to himself, as Rachel departed. 'What a lovely girl, he thought.' He then turned towards the building, strode up the couple of steps, and entered.

Inside he found the front receptionist area. Seated behind a desk was an elderly lady. 'Can I help you?' she asked. 'Uh, yes. I am Callodyn Bradlock. From the Social Security office. I was told you were expecting me?' 'Yes, Callodyn. Come with me, and I will show you to your room.' The lady picked up a key from a rack, and made her way towards the staircase. Satan followed her. Up on the next level they came to room twenty-two. She unlocked the door and motioned for Satan to follow her inside. The room was relatively basic. A bed, a small side dresser with a mirror, and a table and chair, with a bowl of fruit sitting on it. 'The bathroom is just down the hall, luv. We don't actually have many people staying with us at the moment, so you should be right to use it at any time. Dinner is at six pm, about twenty minutes from now. It comes free to guests staying with us. Social security has paid for your first two weeks with us, so you needn't worry about money. Well, do you have any questions?' 'Uh, no. Not really. Thanks for everything Maam. I will be down at dinner at six.' 'Sure,' she said. 'Well, I'll be downstairs if you need me. There is a towel in the dresser for you to take a shower with should you wish to. I'll be going now.' With that said, the lady excused herself, handed Satan the key, and left. Satan closed the door behind her, and took a seat on the bed.

'Well, you old devil. You have done all right for yourself. A home, finance and food. And all in a day. If things continue to go this well I should be home in the realm within a week.'

He looked around the room. It was a basic affair. A nice picture of the countryside hung on the wall next to the table, and the room was wallpapered with a nice design. 'Perhaps I should take a shower?' he thought to himself. His feet were rather dirty, and sore, and a shower might do him some good. He opened the dresser and found a stack of clean towels. He took one out and felt its texture. Smooth, but with substance. It should do fine. He exited the room, closed and locked the door behind him, and went looking for the bathroom. He found it just down the hallway. He entered, closed and locked the door behind him, and undressed. He climbed into the bathtub which had the shower over it and turned the water on. Soon cold water started spraying from the showerhead and he quickly jumped back at the sensation. He turned up the hot water and adjusted it until he had the right temperature. As an immortal, Satan had not needed to shower. His body was partially spiritual in nature, never attracting dirt. But as a human he now realized he would need to clean – and that likely regularly.

He entered the shower and felt the water rush down over him. It was totally unlike any shower he had experienced previously. The water cascaded over his skin, the warm water pulsating through his skin. He found that he enjoyed the sensation tremendously and silently wondered what he had been missing all these years. After a number of minutes standing there, washing himself, he felt it was time to exit. He turned off the taps and got out of the tub. He carefully dried himself off, and put on his clothing.

Exiting the bathroom he returned to his room and placed the towel at the feet of his bed. Looking around he noticed a clock. It read five-fifty-two pm. Dinner would be upon him shortly. Perhaps he should go down early and introduce himself to the other residents. It was a quick way of getting himself known.

Coming down the stairwell, he thought on the task ahead of him. Being unemployed would make it a little more difficult to find a true love, but unemployment was likely high in a country town like Crossden. Hopefully he could find a local lady who would fall for him. He thought of Rachel, the Social Security worker. She was quite attractive, he felt, and would make a suitable candidate. But she probably would have little time for someone in such a situation as he was. But I am sure there will be someone, he thought to himself.

Coming into the dining room there were four other people seated at a long table. He found a seat and looked around. Opposite him was an elderly man, who looked a little down on his luck. 'Hello,' Satan said. 'My name is Callodyn. What, may I ask, is your name?' The man looked at him. 'I be Rufus McFadden, son. Nice to meet you.' He offered his hand, and Satan took it and shook it. 'Well, how long have you been staying here?' Satan asked. 'Oh, around three years or so,' said Rufus. 'The food is good,' and I stand little chance of finding another job at my age. So I guess I will be here for awhile longer.' 'Yes, as long as the food is good, you should be all right.' 'I guess so,' replied Rufus. Satan looked at the three other people seated at the table. One middle aged man of about fifty, one woman around thirty or so, and a young teen of about eighteen. The young teen looked towards him. 'Hi Callodyn,' she said. 'So where are you from?' 'Oh, lots of places,' responded Satan. 'And what, my dear, may I ask is your name?' 'Lucy,' she responded. 'I have been living here for the past six months since turning 18 and running away from home. My mother was a real bitch – I could never stand her – and she demanded half of my welfare cheque, can you believe that? I told her to go to hell and decided I could make it on my own. So I am here for now, but I plan on moving to London when I have enough saved. I reckon I can make it as an actor there. I was in many stage shows when I was younger. Anyway, that's my story. What about you?' 'Oh,' replied Satan. 'I lost my job about a year ago and have been living on the streets. Just today I applied for Social Security, which I got, and they sent me here to stay. That's about it really.' 'Ok,' said Lucy. 'Are you married? Have a girlfriend?' 'No, nothing like that,' replied Satan. 'I have been single all my life and only ever had a few girlfriends. Nothing major ever really' 'That's interesting,' said Lucy. 'So you mustn't have had much of a sex life then?' Satan was a little shocked at the girl's boldness. He looked at the other people seated at the table, but they didn't seem really that surprised. 'No, not much of a sex life, responded Satan.' 'I last had a hooker about two years ago. Since then nothing much to say.' Lucy smiled. Well, I had a boyfriend in the town I came from – I lost my virginity to him. But I have not had sex for about a year now.' A saucy look came into her eyes. 'Tell me Callodyn, do you want to remedy that situation?' Callodyn looked straight at her, suddenly quite aware what she was after from him. 'You're a little young for me, don't you think Lucy.' 'Oh, I don't know,' she said. 'How old are you – about thirty-five? I'm now eighteen and of legal age. It's not that big a difference. Callodyn smiled. It was an interesting love game he found himself caught up in. He was ready to refuse her when he suddenly noticed the bulge in his crotch. That had never happened before. As an angel he'd had sex, but the arousal of his member took much time and was left to the ministrations of his lovers. It had never been aroused so quickly like this before. Perhaps it was something about being human, he thought to himself. He looked Lucy over. Yes, she was quite attractive. And relatively young. Perhaps she would make a good lover. 'All right Lucy. After dinner you can come up to my room and I will make you feel very welcome.' Lucy smiled wickedly. 'Great', she said.

Chapter Four

After dinner, and despite having had sex numerous times before, Satan felt quite nervous. The lass was very attractive and, as she followed him up to his room, he suddenly felt quite turned on. Perhaps this is what humans felt, he thought to himself. They entered his room, closed and locked the door behind him, and sat down on his bed. Lucy looked at him. 'Tell me, have you masturbated much in the past two years?' Satan laughed a little to himself. What a question, he thought. 'Well, occasionally,' he said. 'I suppose like most men I still get the urges, and I haven't been in a position to visit a lady for quite a while.' 'Well, you needn't masturbate tonight. I am still new at this thing, but I have a great appetite for it. Shall we get undressed?' 'Uh, sure,' replied Satan. He started to undress and moments later both of them were stark naked. He looked her over – she was very attractive. Something in his body reacted strongly to her presence and his member hardened up and stood at attention. 'Do you think you can come twice? She asked. 'Oh, I guess so,' Satan said. 'Why?' 'Well, I will treat you first,' she said. 'Then you can satisfy me.' That said, she came forward towards him and got down on her knees. Taking his member in her hand she slowly started to pump it. After a couple of minutes of this she looked up at him. 'Time for your treat,' she said. She opened her mouth and took his phallus onto her tongue. She started sucking it, her saliva all over his member. Satan looked down at her, totally exhilarated by the experience. While he had received oral sex before from his various lovers, he had never felt like this. The girl simply had him in heaven. Soon, after much sucking, he couldn't hold back. His body shook a little, and he felt that familiar feeling of bliss in his loins. Soon he erupted creamy come into her mouth. She swallowed the lot and got to her feet, wiping her mouth. 'Mmm. I love the taste of fresh come,' she said. 'It has such a unique flavour to it. Now it is your turn to treat me.' She lied back on the bed and spread her legs. Satan immediately knew what she was after.

About twenty minutes later, after they had fully satisfied each other, Lucy started to dress. 'Tell you what, lover. We can make this a regular thing if you like? I will be here for at least another six months, and I do fancy you. We can entertain each other if you like?' Satan looked at her, then thought on his situation. While he had enjoyed the sex, he couldn't let it interfere with his main objective. He was here to find true love – not a nymphomaniac. 'Look, I am afraid this will have to be the only time we can do this,' said Satan. 'You are still quite young, and I feel a bit like a cradle-snatcher. Sorry but it will have to be the one and only time' 'Well, all right,' said Lucy. 'Have it your way. But if you are ever lonely one night, just knock on my door. Number twenty-five down the hall.' 'I'll remember,' said Satan.

After she had left, Satan thought on what had happened. The pleasure had been intense. Far greater than he had ever experienced as an angel. Perhaps that was why humans were so obsessed with the issue. 'One of God's gifts for mankind,' he thought to himself.

He looked at the clock. It read ten past eight. He was not yet very tired, and decided to read a little. He had noticed that the dresser had a bible on it, provided by the Gideon's. He opened it up and started to read.

Three hours later, after having read through most of the book of Genesis, he was starting to feel sleepy. He had come to the end of his first day as a human, and such an experience it had been. What lies in store for tomorrow? He thought to himself.

The following day, after waking at around seven o'clock, he got dressed and went downstairs. The dining room was empty. Probably too early, he thought to himself. Still, as he had noted the night before, there was a fridge in the dining room which contained cartons of milk, and the side table had some bowls and cereal. Weet-a-bix he thought to himself. It was a pretty basic meal, but it would do.

With the meal finished, he thought on the day ahead of him. He had a cheque for a hundred pounds in his pocket, which he would need to cash. But the banks would not likely open until around nine o'clock, so he had nearly two hours to kill. He decided he would take a walk around Crossden, familiarising himself with it. If he was to find true love here, he had best get to know the town.

Exiting from the hostel, he made his way down the street, heading for what seemed to be the centre of town. About twenty minutes later he had found the main shopping complex and located a couple of banks. Looking around the shops he noticed a shoe store. Logically, that would be the first place to stop after he had his money. He couldn't go around without shoes forever. Finding a park bench, he sat down and waited.

He thought of his situation. Being human was definitely an experience. He'd had sex for the first time as a human the night before and had been pleasantly surprised at the experience. Perhaps there would be other things that humanity offered him.

After a fair wait, and life starting to come and go throughout the complex, the bank in front of him opened up. He entered and came to the front counter. A pretty lady greeted him, bearing a name badge that read 'Sally'. Hi Sally, he said. I have this cheque that I need clearing. It is from the Social Security office.' 'That shouldn't be a problem,' replied Sally. 'We can clear that right away.' She typed the details of the cheque into the computer and opened the teller drawer. 'Are tens alright?' she asked. 'Yes, that will be fine,' replied Satan. She counted off ten ten pound notes and handed them over to him. He took the money and looked at her. 'Is that everything,' he asked. 'Yes, that is all,' she said. 'Have a nice day.' 'Thanks,' he said, and exited the bank.

One hundred pounds should be enough to buy him some shoes and some other basic necessities he thought to himself. Naturally, he would need some more clothing, and perhaps a suitcase to keep his clothes in. Hopefully he would have enough. 'First things first,' he thought to himself. 'Some socks, and then some shoes. Probably some cheap sneakers.' He entered the main department store of the complex and bought some size twelve socks. After this he found an appropriate pair of sneakers in the shoe shop and bought them. As he walked out of the store, he felt a lot better. They fitted comfortably and took away the ache that had started to come from walking on his feet all the time. 'Now some clothing', he thought to himself. He walked around the shopping complex, until he noticed a Salvation Army store on the street facing the complex. 'Clothes there will definitely be more affordable', he thought to himself, realising his limited funds.

He walked over and entered the store. After about half an hour he walked out with two extra pairs of jeans, a couple of t-shirts and a nice skivvy. It was summer at the moment, so he needn't worry about warmer clothing until winter. One other thing he would need would be some underpants. He returned to the department store and bought three pair. That should do until his regular payment came in.

Well, his basics were done with. One thing he did remember to get was a toothbrush and some toothpaste. He realised that being human he would need such things to keep himself presentable. Whenever he had the opportunity he wanted to make a good impression on any possible female contacts.

He counted his money – he had forty two pounds left. That should last him until his regular payment came in. Of course, he would have to open up a bank account so that his regular payments could come in. He decided to return to the bank he had cashed the cheque in and open one there. He came to the bank, and entered. Again Sally greeted him. 'Hello again,' she said. 'I see you have got yourself together a bit. Where there problems before?' 'You could say that,' said Satan. 'Anyway, I would like to open a bank account. I need somewhere for my social security payments to come into.' 'Sure,' said Sally, and asked him for identification. About twenty minutes later, after filling in various forms, she presented him with an interim ATM Card. 'This should do you until your regular card comes through. It should be about a week and you can pick it up here.' 'Excellent,' said Satan, and smiled at her. 'Your welcome,' said Sally, smiling back at him. 'I wish you luck.' 'Thanks,' said Satan. He smiled at her and left the building.

He'd had to make an initial deposit of ten pounds to open the account – a requirement for that bank, which left him with thirty-two pounds. That should hopefully last, he thought to himself.

What next? Well, he had already started to think ahead. Although Crossden was a relatively small town, it did have a nightclub on the main street were the in-crowd would probably hang each night. He had found the nightclub earlier that morning when walking along the main street towards the shops. It was called 'Babylon Night Club'. He laughed to himself. 'Perhaps he would become the 'Prince of Babylon' after a while – Lucifer indeed,' he thought to himself. Of course, that would be the best place to meet the local women. Hopefully he would not have to wait too long until he found a suitable love interest.

He decided to return to the nightclub to check out its opening hours, which he had forgotten to do earlier. Written in green letters painted onto the glass door were the opening hours. 7 till 7 – Friday to Sunday night. Today was Tuesday – three days until Friday night. That would give him time to familiarise himself with the town and prepare himself for the night.

Although he was unemployed, he felt it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Unemployment was probably quite high in the small northern Welsh town. There was a minor recession going on at the moment, but people still mated nonetheless. He was sure with his own experience with women that he could find one who would call him love. It was only a matter of time.

Chapter Five

The rest of the day passed, and so did the following two. He spent most of the time in his own room in the Samaritan Hostel reading the bible, on Thursday visiting the town library to use the internet. He had thought about trying the online dating agencies that he'd heard about, but soon found out that they charged rather hefty expenses. And he couldn't quite afford that at the moment.

Friday morning his regular payment came through from Social Security. Rachel had rung the hostel to inform him that the payment had come through. He had actually visited her the day before giving her his bank details. She had smiled warmly at him, asking after his welfare. She appeared to be a bright, bubbly person, and Satan was finding himself drawn to her.

The payment was, as promised, two-hundred and eighty-five pounds. As he didn't have to pay for his lodging at the Samaritans for another week and a half, he had some spare spending money for the nightclub. One hundred pounds should be enough, he thought to himself. That should definitely take care of all drinks – both for himself and any potential girls who came his way.

At a quarter to seven on Friday night, Satan prepared himself. He had bought a nice pair of formal trousers and a shirt from the department store in town. He wanted to at least look as if he had 'Some' money. He looked at himself in the mirror. 'Yes, you should do,' he thought to himself. He left the hostel and started walking towards the nightclub. About fifteen minutes later he arrived. As he was unused to the nightclub scene he didn't realise that most people didn't show up until at least eleven pm at that club. He bought a club soda from the bar and the bartender told him that the dancing didn't start until ten-thirty. He would have to wait around, he thought to himself. Taking his club soda, he walked over to a table by the side of the room and seated himself. Club sodas were only two pound, so he could sip on them for a few hours.

About twenty minutes later an unaccompanied lady entered the club and walked over to the bar. Satan looked her over. She was dressed in a black mini-skirt and a red shirt. At the moment he couldn't see her face but, after she bought a drink, she turned around. He was pleasantly surprised – it was Rachel from the Social Security office. She spotted him and, to his surprise, made her way over to him. 'Hello Callodyn,' she said. 'Do you mind if I sit here. 'No, not at all,' replied Satan. She smiled at him, took a sip on her drink, and looked around. Satan was curious about her and spoke up. 'Out of curiosity, what are you doing here? I assumed you would be married, or at least have a boyfriend or something.' 'No, no boyfriend. And I've never been married. Actually, there isn't that many males in Crossden for me to pick from. I mostly come here to socialise and dance with old friends – usually a bit later. But I decided to come early tonight as I really had nothing to do.' She looked at his clothes. 'My, you scrub up nicely,' she said. For the first time in his existence, Satan blushed. 'Uh, thanks he said. I was able to afford these clothes with today's payment. And I felt like getting out from the hostel. I found this place on Tuesday, so I thought I would drop in. Actually, it is the very first time I have been to a nightclub. I am not actually all that much of a socialite. Especially, as you could guess, in the past year.' Rachel smiled at him. 'Well, hopefully that will change. Tell you what, if you are still here later on, you could dance with me if you like.' Satan smiled. 'Yes, sure. That would be great.'

They chatted for the next few hours, mostly Rachel talking about her life. Satan shared a little of his own – mostly the tale he had fabricated. Rachel had been born in Crossden hospital, and had lived here all her life. She had studied a degree in Finance at Cardiff University, but had returned home as she liked the small town life and didn't really like the big city. She lived at home with her mother Celia, while her Father had passed on. She had a younger brother called Jeremy who lived on the south side of town, working as a mechanic. She'd had a couple of boyfriends since she turned eighteen but now at twenty-six she was single and looking. She was so desperate that she had recently tried one of the Welsh dating services. Although the fees were rather high, something Satan could relate to, there were a fair array of men to choose from. Unfortunately there was not really anybody in the local area, so she'd only been on one date, travelling to Cardiff, and that hadn't really worked out. 'I'll probably always be single,' she had said to him. Satan doubted that. From what he had seen and gotten to know of Rachel, she was a lovely young lady. She had a bubbly personality and a winning smile. She was reasonably attractive and had a nice body. He was, as he had said, surprised that she was still single.

At ten-thirty the music started. There were about a dozen people in the club and some of the females took to the dance floor. Rachel looked at Satan. 'Well, are we still on for that dance?' 'Sure,' said Satan. They got to their feet and walked over to the dance floor. Satan had never tried the modern types of dances. He was used to the sophisticated jigs of the angels, somewhat afraid to try the very sensual dances that humanity had developed in recent years. However, he tried his best. Rachel, he soon found out, was a very good dancer. Talented, he felt. She waved her arms in the air and grooved in time to the music. They spent about an hour there dancing, before Satan said he was feeling a little tired. 'Sure, we can stop,' said Rachel. 'Thanks', said Satan.

They returned to their table. 'You dance very well,' said Satan. 'You're a natural, I think.' Rachel blushed. 'Thanks, she said. 'I do like to dance. It's a way of letting go and expressing myself.' 'You certainly do that, said Satan.

They continued to chat for about another hour or so. Eventually Rachel said that she had to go. 'I am a little tired,' she said. 'I was up early this morning, and it is getting rather late. So if you don't mind I will let you be.' Satan thought quickly. 'Umm. Do you have a car, or are you walking home?' 'Walking, actually. I only live about five minutes from here, and walking saves on petrol. Very expensive these days, as you probably know.' 'Well, I could walk you home if you like. I am pretty beat myself, so was thinking of leaving also. But I would be quite happy to walk you back to your place.' Rachel looked at him, uncertainty on her face. 'Well, alright, I guess. I still don't really know you that well, but you seem trustworthy to me. Sure, you can walk me home.' 'Great,' said Satan. They stood and made there way out of the club.

Once outside Rachel pointed towards the north. 'I live in some flats just up the road a bit. It's a two bedroom flat that me and my mum share. When dad died we sold the home, and moved closer to town. It has proved quite handy.'

As they walked along, Satan thought about his situation. After only a few days he had made a female friend. Luck seemed to be on his side. Naturally, he couldn't know if Rachel would fall for him or not, but it was at least a start.

A few minutes later they came to her flat. 'This is it,' she said. 'Number seven on the top floor.' She looked up and noticed the light was still on. 'Mother seems to be up, so I could invite you in for a coffee if you like.' 'Sure,' said Satan, happy to oblige. They climbed the stairs and came to number seven. Rachel knocked and shortly an elderly lady answered the door. 'Mum, this is a friend of mine called Callodyn. He is new to town, and I thought he might like a cup of coffee. I hope you don't mind.' 'No, that is all right,' responded Rachel's Mother. 'Come in Callodyn. My name is Celia. Make yourself at home. I will put the kettle on.' Rachel's mother led the way into the main living room, and headed towards the adjoining kitchenette. Rachel motioned for Satan to sit. 'Coffee or tea,' shouted Celia to Satan from the Kitchen. 'Coffee will be fine,' responded Satan. 'I'll have a coffee too,' said Rachel. A short while later Celia returned carrying a tray with three cups of steaming coffee on them. She handed a mug to Satan who carefully took it. He took a sip, smiled at its strong flavour, and put the mug down. Celia looked across at him. 'So, Callodyn. Your new to town. Have you come here for a job or something.' 'Uh, no actually,' replied Satan. 'Not quite'. Rachel spoke up. 'Callodyn has had a hard time recently, mother. He has just gone on the Social Security payment after living on the streets for a fair while. He is staying at the Samaritan hostel for now.' 'Is that so,' said Celia, a sympathetic look in her eyes. 'Yes, the Samaritan hostel. That is just down from your office, isn't it Rachel.' 'Yes mother, that's the one.' 'And how are you finding that, Callodyn?' Celia asked Satan. 'Oh, its fine,' said Satan. 'After living on the streets it's a welcome relief'. I could imagine, said Celia. She yawned. 'Well, I am quite tired now. I was just waiting up for you Rachel, but now that you have company I think I will go to bed.' 'Sure', said Rachel. Celia got up and picked up the book she had been reading. 'Well, it was nice to meet you Callodyn. I hope you find what you are looking for here in Crossden.' 'So do I,' replied Satan. Celia kissed Rachel and turned towards one of the doors leading into her bedroom.

After she had gone, Rachel looked towards Satan. 'She's a good mum. Very caring' 'I'm sure she is,' replied Satan. They chatted for about another 20 minutes, Rachel showing him some photos of her when she was younger. Eventually Satan felt that he had about stayed his welcome and decided to leave. 'Well, I must be going, he said.' 'Sure,' replied Rachel. 'Well, maybe I will see you at the nightclub again next week. It's a small town so it will give you something to do.' 'Yes, I guess you will,' replied Satan. With that said, he got to his feet. Rachel showed him to the door. 'Good night Callodyn. It was very nice to get to know you.' 'You too,' replied Satan. He smiled at her and turned and made his way down the stairwell.

Chapter Six

Later that night, as Satan retired to his bedroom, he thought about Rachel. She was indeed a nice girl and had expressed interest in meeting up with him again. Although he had a full five years to complete his task, he now thought that he might have it done much sooner than that. Time would only tell.

Over the next week Satan looked forward to Friday night. In fact he anxiously anticipated the night, actually looking forward to spending more time with Rachel. He had been giving her some thought during the week and reminisced about her bubbly, bright and endearing character. She was really quite a nice girl and he found that he strongly desired to meet up with her again.

Eventually Friday night came. He got dressed up in his shirt and pants again, and left the hostel at around seven pm. Better to be a little later than last week he thought to himself. When he arrived he looked around. Rachel was not yet there. Patience, he thought to himself. She had said she would see him again next week, so he had to assume she meant it.

After a couple of hours and a few club sodas later, Rachel had still not arrived. 'I guess she is not coming,' Satan reluctantly thought to himself. He looked down at his club soda and mulled that over. As he was thinking on the matter, a voice spoke to him. 'Hello Callodyn. Glad you could make it.' He looked up. It was Rachel. 'Hi Rachel,' he smiled. 'I had thought you weren't coming.' 'Oh, no. I was just busy at home, that's all.' She sat down. 'So, how has your week been? Do anything interesting?' 'No, not really,' replied Satan. As you probably know, there is not much to do in Crossden. I visited the library a couple of times. Surfed the net and read some magazines. But mostly it has been pretty quiet. Such is the substance of the unemployed life, I guess.' 'Yes, I guess so,' said Rachel. 'But you seem to be a pretty intelligent guy. Have you thought about looking for work. You told me you worked in a pub in Hull. We have a couple of them here in Crossden. Perhaps you could put your name in?' Satan looked at her, thinking about that. Rachel apparently seemed to show concern for his unemployment situation. It was quite nice of her, he thought, to want to help him out. Another positive character trait. 'Yes, I suppose I could do that. But I don't actually have a resume anymore.' 'Oh, that shouldn't be a problem,' replied Rachel. If you give them my name as a referee I will be glad to give you a reference.' Satan smiled. 'Thanks, he said. I guess I could do that. It would give me something to do with my time and I suppose be an extra income.' 'Yes it would,' replied Rachel.

Again, they chatted on until ten thirty, Satan getting to know here even better. She told him about her father, who had been one of the few British soldiers to die in the recent Iraqi conflict. She had fond memories of him, a glint in her eye as she reminisced. Her life, so it seemed, revolved around her family. Her brother, Jeremy, was twenty-five, a year younger than her. He lived with his wife, Samantha, and they were expecting their first child in a few months. From what she said, Rachel was certainly looking forward to being an Aunt. She had a Grandmother who was still alive, who lived in Beltingham, north of Crossden. She worked in the library there which stunned Satan. She must have been the librarian who he had met. He had thought about sharing that with Rachel, but felt better of it, preferring to keep his recent journeys to himself.

When ten thirty came around, they again took to the dance floor, and danced this time for about two hours. Satan found that he didn't actually mind this modern dancing, and was starting to get used to it. At around twenty to one they stopped and returned to their seats.

'That was great,' said Rachel. 'You seem to be getting the swing of it, Callodyn.' 'I suppose,' Satan replied. 'It is rather tiring though.' 'A young man like yourself should be able to handle that, though,' said Rachel. 'Yes, I guess so,' said Satan, amused that she had no idea how old he really was.

Later on, as the night passed, they eventually decided to leave. Satan once again asked her if he could walk her home, to which Rachel acquiesced. At the door to her flat Rachel said that it would be best if he didn't come in, as her mother had gone to bed. 'Quite all right,' said Satan, understanding the girl's reservations. Rachel looked straight at him. 'But, you can kiss me if you like.' Satan stood there stunned. He had not counted on such a situation coming to the fore so soon. He hesitated a moment, in which Rachel frowned a little. 'Well, do you want to or not?' she asked. 'Yes, certainly,' said Satan. He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. He felt it would be inappropriate to open his mouth, as they were still, relatively speaking, getting to know each other. She took the kiss and closed her eyes. A moment later she opened her eyes and looked straight at him. 'That was nice,' she said. 'Very,' replied Satan. 'Well, will you be at the club again next week?' he asked. 'For sure, said Rachel. I will see you there.' She smiled and turned to her door, opened it and went inside. Satan stood there a few moments before making his way down the stairwell.

As he got home, his mind was full of thoughts, all of them about Rachel. That kiss had been wonderful, he thought to himself. Rachel was such a fun-loving girl, and full of life, that Satan could honestly say he was completely and utterly attracted to her. Physically, mentally and spiritually attracted. She seemed the perfect mate. His thoughts were, in fact, so positive about her, that he had not really thought that much about his agenda with her in the first place. He had seemingly forgotten that it was her who had to fall in love with him, and not the other way around.

All that week Satan thought about Rachel. He even walked past the Social Security office one day to see if he could see her. He spied her, busily at work, but didn't go in. He could wait until Friday night.

When Friday night came around, he tried on a new shirt he had bought. He had paid the Samaritans for the two weeks ahead, a total of one hundred and fifty pounds, which left him with about one hundred and sixty pounds that he had not spent. Subconsciously he seemed to be saving whatever he could spare.

He arrived at the club at seven thirty. Rachel, he thought, would probably not be there until later. But he was pleasantly surprised to find her seated at their usual table. He walked over and smiled at her. 'Hello Callodyn,' she said. 'Hello Rachel,' he responded and sat down.

Later that night, walking her home as usual, Satan was rather nervous. He was looking forward to possibly kissing her again. When they came to her door, Rachel looked at him. 'Would you like to come in?' she asked. Satan looked at her, a little shocked at what he perceived to be forwardness from someone who at first had seemed so reserved. 'Sure, all right. I would love to.' They entered the flat, and Rachel went to the kitchenette to prepare some Coffee. They chatted about half an hour before Satan felt that perhaps he should be going. Rachel looked at him, her eyes gleaming. 'Sure,' she said. 'You can go if you want to. But you could, if you want to that is, stay the night.' Satan looked at her. 'Umm, on the couch you mean? Well, alright. If you don't mind.' 'Rachel came over to him, and gave him a short kiss. 'I wasn't thinking about the couch, Callodyn' Satan was shocked. Was Rachel really suggesting what he thought she was suggesting. However, he soon came to the realization from the look in her eyes that she indeed was. 'Yes,' he said. 'I think I can stay the night.' She smiled and motioned for him to follow her. She walked over to one of the doors and opened it. It was her bedroom, of course, and it had a rather elegant double bed in it. 'Well, are you coming?' she said. 'Of course,' replied Satan, and followed her into her room.

She closed the door and looked at him. 'We will have to be quiet. I'm a grown girl now, and my mum respects that, but courtesy is still important.' With that said, she smiled, looked at him nervously, and started to unbutton her shirt. At first he just stood there, stunned at what was going on in front of him. But, after she motioned for him to undress also, he started taking off his clothes. Soon they were both in their underwear. Rachel got on the bed, and spoke. 'Callodyn, I haven't been with a man intimately in four years. So you will forgive me if I'm not up to scratch.' 'Don't worry about it,' said Satan, who smiled at her. Tenderly he stroked her hair. 'Rachel, I really don't know how to say this, but I think I am falling in love with you.' Rachel looked at him then looked down. After a moment she looked back up. 'Yes Callodyn. I think, perhaps, I am starting to feel the same about you.' Satan smiled and moved his lips forward. They kissed, this time with mouths open, exploring each others hidden delights.

Later that night, after having made quite passionate love, Rachel had fallen asleep and Satan just lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. Rachel had been an intense lover, he thought to himself. The passion with which she had kissed him had been overwhelming. When he had entered her it felt totally blissful. To make love to someone he now loved, and in human form, was an experience totally unlike anything he had ever gone through before. If this was love, he thought to himself, he wanted it to never end.

Chapter Seven

In the next few weeks life simply got better and better for Satan. He, at Rachel's request, applied for work at the Crossden Pubs, and was successful in getting two weekend shifts at the 'Red Boar'. Although he didn't really have any experience in pouring drinks, he quickly learned that as long as you could pour a beer, not too much else was expected. His second night on the job, Rachel came and visited him. They chatted for ages, and he showed her around the pub, showing her the back rooms, and the cellar were the lager was stored.

Naturally, they spent most Friday nights at the club, but soon started having lunches at the small café across from her work place.

One weekend she took him to visit her brother Jeremy. Jeremy was now a born-again Christian, attending the local Assemblies of God Pentecostal church. Satan had a great deal of knowledge on the subject and the two of them talked for hours. Jeremy even invited Satan to church, something which Satan agreed to. In his many years on earth he had heard many a sermon on the various virtues of Christian living. The Pentecostals were, of course, the most fired-up of the new post-reformation Christian movements, claiming to have the genuine early church experience of the Holy Spirit – especially with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Rachel, he found out, was a modernistic church of England goer, but had a positive attitude towards her brothers religion, unlike many other of the old church types in her church. The service was an interesting affair. Many people indeed spoke in tongues, with one interpretation given. The tongue itself was not in any language that Satan had ever heard – in earth or in heaven – but it seemed to satisfy the congregation.

After the service ended, the pastor came up to Satan. Well my friend, how did you find the sermon. Did it challenge you? May I ask, have you ever given your life to the Lord Jesus? No, I am not really of the Christian persuasion,' responded Satan. 'More of the Old Testament perspective on things.' 'So you're Jewish then, are you? Asked the pastor. 'No, not Jewish, exactly' replied Satan. 'But I guess I share the same God as the Jews.' 'Well, that is a positive,' replied the Pastor. 'Belief in God is the foundation of all godly living. I'm glad to see you've got a start.' 'Yes, I suppose so,' replied Satan. 'Well, if you can, you should see if you can come again next week,' said the Pastor. 'We are preaching on the Devil.' 'Fascinating,' replied Satan, slightly amused. 'I will see if I can attend'.

The following week Satan did not attend the service. He didn't really fancy anymore degradation of his name. Rachel asked him if he would like to attend the Church of England service instead. She attended church once every month, occasionally missing. She had told him in conversation that she did really believe in God, and the Bible to a degree, but was not really a fundamentalist. She was open to different perspectives, so she said. This didn't surprise Satan. For her to have slept with him so soon after meeting him obviously meant she was not that taken with the Christian virtue of chastity. That was just the prevailing culture of the time in which the Scriptures were written, Rachel had said, showing Satan that she at least had a view on the issue. For Satan, who had intimate knowledge with the composition of the Scriptures, her position seemed a reasonable one.

The Church of England had made great progress in the last few years in redefining their central doctrines. So much so that even the resurrection, which even Satan did not really fully understand, was allowed to be questioned by members of the priesthood and laity alike. Of course, homosexual priests were now quite common. The church of Englands' old adversaries, the Catholics, still refused to ordain homosexual priests, faithfully holding to the ancient teachings of the New Testament and their holy catechisms.

So Satan agreed to attend church with Rachel.

The service was the traditional mass – high church style. The sermon itself was on the subject of forgiveness. The priest stressed that, just as we had been forgiven by God, we should likewise forgive others. Satan saw the wisdom in the sermon.

Later that night, when the two of them were in bed together, Rachel asked him a question. 'Callodyn. If we were ever to, you know, possibly get married, do you think it could be in the Church of England. It is the church I grew up with and the one I feel most comfortable with. I know you are not a Christian, but it isn't that problematic, is it?' 'Married?' said Satan, a little shocked. 'I had not really thought that far into the future. I mean, that's a big step isn't it. Marriage and all. Are you sure your ready for such a thing?' 'Oh, I didn't mean we should actually get married,' said Rachel. 'I was just speculating that if such a thing ever became a reality, we could make it in the Church of England.' Satan looked at her. 'Well, yes. If you like. The Church of England is a fine choice. I generally agree with much of what they go on about. Yes, it won't be a problem.' Rachel smiled, and hugged him. 'You know, Callodyn, you are my one true love. I would forsake all others to be with you.' Satan looked at her, her eyes shining. 'Dearest Rachel, I feel the same about you.'

One week later, Satan started to think about his life as human. He had gone from searching for a woman to love him, to actually falling in love himself. And now he had the potential for living out a life with his love. He was thinking this over late one night, when he heard a knock on his hostel door. Rising from his bed, he went over to the door, and opened it. Standing there was his one-time lover, the female Onaphim Aphrayel. She smiled at him, and entered the room. After briefly looking the room over, she turned towards Satan. 'Well, Satan, it would seem as if you have had success. We have been watching you from heaven and are aware that the woman Rachel has expressed her deepest love for you, preparing to forsake all others to be with you.' 'Yes,' said Satan, 'that is the case.' 'You have done well,' replied Aphrayel. 'Yet, I am sure you remember the terms of the agreement. For you to return to the realm, you must reveal to her your true identity. You must tell her you are Satan, the Devil.' Satan looked at Aphrayel, and then looked away. Soon he returned his gaze towards the Seraphim. 'Look, I don't know if I can really do that. I – I love Rachel. Deeply. So much so that I am thinking about asking her to be my wife. I couldn't run the risk of letting her know my true identity. She would leave me for certain.' 'That is unfortunate,' replied Aphrayel. Yet the terms are irrevocable. For you to return to the realm, you must tell the woman your true identity. You must let her know you are Satan himself.' 'Yes, I know, I know,' said Satan. 'I guess there is nothing else for it. I will just have to tell her who I am.' 'Yes, you will, replied Aphrayel. Fortunately, time is on your side. You still have well over four years to share this news with her. Should you be successful, you will be returned to the realm immediately.' With those words spoken, Aphrayel smiled at Satan, excused herself, and left the room.

A number of weeks later, Satan felt the time was right to tell Rachel who he really was. If she could accept his true identity, and still love him, he would be able to return to the realm straight away. But was it worth the risk of losing her, he thought to himself. He loved her deeply, and didn't really want to run the risk of losing her in any way. But the thought of returning to the realm was also a compelling pull on his life. I will have to see what love really is made of, he thought to himself.

After they had been out to see a movie, and were walking along the main street of Crossden, Satan took her aside. 'Rachel,' he said. 'There is something I need to share with you. Something of grave importance.' Rachel looked straight at him. 'Whatever could it be, dearest Callodyn?' Callodyn looked straight into her eyes, and then realized just how much he loved her so. Suddenly it became clear what he should say. 'Rachel, my dearest. Will you' - he paused looking for the courage – 'will you marry me?' 'Rachel looked straight at him, then a smile of pure joy came over her face. Oh. Oh Callodyn. Of course Callodyn. Oh definitely. I love you so and would be honoured to be your wife.' Callodyn smiled and hugged her. He hadn't told her who he was but knew that he couldn't. He loved her too much.

Three months later, they wed. St Bartholomew's Church of England hosted the service, with a large turnout. The reception was held at the 'Babylon' night club, with most of Rachel's close friends and family in attendance.

Later that night, when the partying was nearly over, Callodyn spied a familiar face at the back of the club. It was Aphrayel. He walked over to her and queried her presence. 'What are you doing here Aphrayel. I don't remember inviting you?' 'It has come to our attention that you have not shared your true identity with the woman Rachel, and married her anyway. Because of this, the situation has changed.' 'What do you mean, the situation has changed?' 'Father has decided that unless you share your true identity with the woman Rachel, she will be taken from you to the grave - and that within one week from now.' Satan looked at her, the anger apparent on his face. 'But you said I had five years to tell her. You are changing the terms – that is terrible. It can't be right!' 'Those terms were incumbent upon you sharing your true identity with the woman 'Before' any marriage took place. Father has deemed that such a marriage, between an angel and a human, is only lawful if both partners are completely aware of the identity of the other. Thus, as you failed to tell Rachel who you were, she will be taken from you within one week – unless of course you share with her your true identity.' Satan looked at her, the anger on his face apparent, then spat at the ground. 'Very well, I will tell her who I am. But heaven be damned if she leaves me.' With that said, Satan turned away from the female Onaphim, and returned to the party.

Two days later, Satan felt the time had come. He and Rachel were on their honeymoon, staying in a small hotel on the Welsh coast. After having made love that morning, the two of them were relaxing on the large king-size bed. Satan dreaded what he had to say to her, but knew that there was no escaping it. God had deemed it so. He looked at her, smiling at his love. 'Rachel,' he said softly. There is something I need to share with you.' Rachel looked at him. 'Yes, my love. What is it?' Satan steeled himself. 'Rachel,' he began. 'It is about my name. My name is not really Callodyn Bradlock. Rather, it is a much older name. A name with an identity associated with it.' Rachel gave him a puzzled look. 'Whatever could you mean Callodyn? What do you mean, your real name?' Satan looked straight at her. 'I am not Callodyn Bradlock at all. That is not my real name. I am, in truth, Satan the Devil. I am the ancient adversary.' Rachel looked at him for a moment, a puzzled look on her face, and then laughed. 'Oh, Callodyn. You do have such a strange sense of humour.' Satan took hold of her, and gave her a direct look. 'I am telling you the truth. I am Satan, the Devil. The old adversary.' Rachel looked at him, and could tell he was being serious. 'Ok. If you are Satan, the Devil, then prove it. Prove to me that you are actually the Devil.' Satan looked at her then said, 'Very well, I shall.' He looked at her again, and thought about the situation. Now that he had told her, and she had responded with unbelief, he was not sure what he actually could do next to prove himself. If she simply didn't believe him, what could he actually do. All of a sudden, a light shone down into the room, coming from an unknown source. And a voice accompanied the light. 'The terms are fulfilled. You have kept your word and told her the truth.' Rachel looked stunned. 'What the hell was that?' she said. 'What was that voice and that light.' Satan looked at her, and then felt a change come over his body. Gradually he changed form, coming into the angelic form he previously inhabited. He looked at Rachel and spoke up. 'I love you Rachel, please believe me.' Before he could say anything else, he was suddenly caught up in another light storm. It dragged him up through the ceiling of the room, up into the air above the hotel. And suddenly he was spinning in a vortex of light. The sensation was familiar. He had felt such a thing when he was originally exiled to Earth from the realm. Soon there came into view a bright, glowing vista before him. It was the golden city of the realm - once his home. Soon he landed on the ground, and the light left him. He was home. He looked around. Standing just before him was the Logos. When Satan stood up, the Logos came forwards. 'Greetings Brother Samael.' Samael was Satan's name before he had fallen. It would seem it was now restored to him. 'Welcome home.' The Logos came forward and hugged him. Just then Satan, now Samael, noticed that there were actually a number of angels standing before him. Sandalphon was there. So was Aphrayel. As well as his old friends Atros, Belzavier, Raznadore and Shadray. They had all come out to greet him. 'Welcome home brother,' they all said in unison. 'It is so good to see you.' Samael smiled, and looked around. He was home. Whatever else, he was home.

Chapter Eight

In the next few months Samael adjusted to life once again in the heavenly realm. It was a blissful feeling, naturally. Totally unlike the difficult sojourn he had faced on earth. The second week back he had been given an audience with the Father in the central throne room. God had greeted his son, and welcomed him warmly back to heaven. His atonement was now complete. He had been returned to a full standing in the angelic community, and could now take up his previous position.

However, as the months slowly passed, and a year approached, Samael felt a longing in his heart. It was Rachel. The daughter of Eve, the woman who he had married and fell in love with – the woman he now felt an unbearably deep longing for. Certainly, he had desired to return to the realm, now realising that had been the trade-off. But he questioned in his heart wether or not he had really done the right thing. Human love was so strange. So compelling and so urgent. Angelic love was much softer and patient. Gentler even. But, it was human love that, for Samael, ultimately held the most appeal. Yet what could he do? He now lived in the realm and could only visit Earth when sent there by his Father. How could he return to his true love, Rachel.

At the end of his year sojourn back in heaven, Samael decided that he would act upon Aphrayel's words. He would see Father about his concerns. It was his final hope. Perhaps Father would consent to Samael returning to Earth. He at least had to try.

The day of his appointment came and Samael fronted the throne room. God was an omnipresent being, but related to the angels through the mediancy of the ever-burning fire situated atop of the throne. God greeted him. 'Welcome Samael. What is your business with me today?' Father, as you know I came from Earth just last year, leaving a woman who had professed her deepest love for me. However, I also love her, and that greatly. The love is so compelling that I feel I can't live without it. I ask you, in your mercy, please return me to Earth and allow me to live out my life with the woman Rachel. God was silent for a while. However, he eventually spoke. 'Samael, I have searched your heart. I know that this love is indeed true. As you have atoned for your sin in my sight, I will grant you this request. You will return to earth to live as a mortal. When you die, you will be returned here to heaven. Rachel may also live with you here in heaven when she dies, rather than in humanities paradise. This grace I will allow you. Go in peace, my son.' Samael stared at the flames, until realisation of what God had said dawned upon him. He had been successful. Praise God, he thought to himself. Praise God.

One week later, after having bid his friends farewell, Aphrayel came to his abode. 'Are you ready?' she asked. 'As ready as I ever will be,' replied Samael. 'Very well, let us go.' Just then the familiar vortex of light appeared over Samael's head. It soon encompassed him and the familiar journey to Earth took place.

A few moments later, he opened his eyes, and looked around. He was dressed in Jeans and a T-Shirt, and stood just in front of the Samaritan hostel. He was back in Crossden. 'Thank God', he thought to himself. Looking at the sky, it was about midday. He didn't know what day of the week it was, but decided to try looking for Rachel at work. He ran as fast as he could to the Social Security office. Looking in through the window, he spied Rachel at her desk. She seemed sad. A look of despair was on her face. Just then, Satan regretted ever leaving her. Love was such an important thing he thought to himself. He would never let it go again.

He entered the building, and came to her desk. Without looking up, Rachel asked, 'Yes, can I help you.' Samael smiled. 'Yes, you can, wife of mine.' Rachel quickly looked up, shocked at the person standing before her. 'Callodyn,' she said. 'Is it, is it really you.' 'Yes, my love. It is I.' She got to her feet and ran quickly around the side of the desk, almost bowling him over, throwing her arms around him. 'Oh my dearest. Callodyn. Callodyn. I had thought I had lost you forever. That day in the hotel – I thought it had been a hallucination. And suddenly you were gone.' Samael looked into her eyes. 'That was a test of heaven dear Rachel,' he said. 'Perhaps both for me and you. But it is over now. And I will never leave you again. I swear that to you.' She continued to hug and kiss him, the absolute joy in her face giving pure happiness to Samael's heart. Samael had found true love. True, pure and honest love. Love that would last forever.

Epilogue

God considered the life of Rachel. In due course, she would die, and with Samael join him in the Realm of Infinity, which would be her home. Rachel was to be a special human. And more than human – angelic. He thought on the words she had once spoken, about the only love for God being an Israelite queen. God thought on his nature, and understood his children's perspective, which were to his mind in some ways opposed. An infinite being did not relate in exactly the same ways that finite beings did. It did not seek the types of relationships, or the same type of love, in the same way, that his creations did. Many of them yearned for love – deeply. But God had existed eternally alone. Love had been in him – it surrounded him – it filled his life and soul. Each moment he dwelt in spiritual bliss. The creation of Angels and Mankind had been from a yearning, though, to express that love. To let it have a medium, an avenue, in which he could share his heart and joy. But that love needed to be tested. It needed to go through certain trials and tribulations before it could be shown to be real – to be shown to be genuine.

Life on earth was part of that test and trial for his children. In this life they would learn love and joy – yet because of the nature of evil, hate and despair as well. Such was the reality of their condition, a reality he knew so well.

Rachel, a child of Israel, was, despite her thinking otherwise, to be his queen one day. He had many queens, many beloved daughters and princesses – but Rachel was to be the lastborn of the Cherubim, and the firstborn of the Ketravim. She, like Semyaza, Michael and the others, held a special place in his heart. They were the firstborn, his beloved ones. Other children did capture his heart in a way that they did not always do so, but they would be, due to their birthright, the honoured ones. The ones set apart for a glory all their own.

Rachel was loved. And in the destiny ahead of her, he would make her aware of the love that was felt for her. Both his own, and that of many others. Many others.

THE END


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